1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination camera and a digital still camera (DSC) lens control method using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination camera and a DSC lens control method capable of switching the DSC lens to a closed state when electric power cuts off while the DSC lens is open.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a digital still camera (DSC) converts an image focused through a lens into a digital signal, and stores the digital signal in a recording medium such as a hard disc, a memory card, and other such devices. That is, the digital still camera converts a taken image into a digital signal, stores the taken image in a recording medium such as a hard disc, a memory card, and other such devices, rather than recording the taken image in film, and even when transferring the stored image to a digital device such as a computer, directly sends the stored image to the digital device without digitization of the stored image through a scanner or the like. In particular, the DSC has a high compatibility with a personal computer to thereby facilitate the editing and manipulation of the transferred image. Further, the DSC has a structure similar to general cameras, so one can easily carry the DSC with him or her. Such a DSC typically has a lens unit, a memory unit, a signal conversion unit, a display unit, and so forth, and is mainly used to capture still images due to the limited capacity of a recording medium for storing images. That is, in general, the DSC can have a function enabling one to take moving pictures for a limited period of time, but not for a substantially long period of time. In order to overcome such a drawback to the DSC, the digital video camera (DVC) is more widely used for recording moving pictures of an object on a recording medium such as a magnetic tape or a hard disc, and reproducing the recorded moving pictures.
The DVC typically has a lens unit, a signal conversion unit, a deck unit for recording and reproducing taken moving pictures, a display unit, and so forth. Further, the DVC has a microphone unit and a speaker unit, and can record moving pictures in the built-in recording medium for over one hour. However, the DVC can also be used to capture still images, but the captured still images are not as good in quality when compared to ones taken by the DSC. Accordingly, the DVC is mainly used to take moving pictures. Further, since the DVC has more functions and a more complicated structure than the DSC, the DVC can be relatively bulky in size and higher in price.
Thus, one currently has to purchase both products to use the respective functions of the DSC and DVC as stated above, which requires consumers to spend more money as well as creating inconveniences since one has to carry both products to use all of the functions of both the DSC and DVC.
In order to overcome such problems, the DSC-combined DVC, which is a device combining the DSC with the DVC in one case, has been developed and is referred to as ‘digital camera/camcorder’, ‘combination camera’, or ‘DuoCam’ for short.
However, the above combination camera needs a separate method for switching the DSC lens to a closed state, since, if the electric power of the combination camera cuts off when the DSC lens is open and is then applied in the DVC mode, the combination camera still has an open DSC lens, even when used in the DVC mode.
Accordingly, a need exists for a control method that is capable of switching a DSC lens to a closed state when electric power is cut off while the DSC lens is open.